METROPOLITAN Mayor Daniel Butler has met with senior officials from Bus Éireann to tackle concerns expressed by bus commuters in Limerick.
According to the City West representative, the issues are broad ranging but largely concern reliability and commute times on the 304, 304A and 301 routes.
“The commitment I received is that the Timetable Punctuality Assessment programme that reduced journey times in Galway by at least 30 per cent is to be extended to Limerick. It will take time to collate the information but once implemented it will see improvements,” Mayor Butler told the Limerick Post.
“Currently there are eight buses on the 304 route and three on the 304A. On the 304 route, the priority for Bus Éireann is spacing over punctuality as there are always people using the service. For the 304A, the priority is punctuality as it is less frequent and should not be more than one minute early or five minutes 59 seconds late.”
“I suggested increasing the number of buses at peak times on this route and they have agreed to examine this,” he explained.
Last month Cllr Butler claimed that it was possible to drive to Galway in the time it takes to get from the city centre to the University of Limerick (UL).
“Solutions they have highlighted include bus corridors and priority traffic lighting, which is to be examined and considered.
“The NTA and Limerick City and County Council need to address the serious infrastructural issues that are making our bus service so inefficient. We have a long way to go but the time to act is now,” Mayor Butler added.
